Wing spoiler



Feb. 9, 1937. B. G. EATON, JR.,'V ET AL 0 WING SPOILER Filed July 19, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS. BRucE. GJZATQHJR HARRY A. $UTT01'L Feb. 9, 1937.

B. G. EATON, JR., 'Er AL V WING SPOILER 3 Sheet-Sheet 2 Filed July 19, 1934 INVENTORS BRUCE GEATON-k BY YA. Surron.

Feb. 9, 1937. B. s. EATON, JR., El AL; 6.

WING SPOILER Filed July 19, 1954 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS. f BRU (:15 G .EAI'O BY RRY I sunon.

Patented Feb. 9, 1937 I wmo sroman Bruce G. Eaton, In, and Harry A. Sutton, Buflaio,

- N. Y., assigncrs, by mesne assignments, to Cnrtiss-Wright Corporation, a corporation of New York Application July 19,1934, Serial No. 735,992

8 Claims. (Cl. fi l-90) This invention relates to aircraft, and is parincreasing movement of the control element. A ticularly concerned with control systems thereof. second embodiment of vthe invention comprises In lateral control of aircraft, ailerons are a unit spoiler of tapered plan form, the chord normally used, these being adequate in normal lengths of the spoiler thus being different along flight, but their control effectiveness becomes low the spoiler span. As the spoiler. is raised t 5 When the aircraft pp flafihe rea hes a Stal the air stream, those portions having the longest mg attitude ma aile ons become ve 16 chord first pass the critical range where effective effective when the aircraft wings are equipped spoilage occurs. As the spoiler is'further prow 11ft n as vices. suc as flaps d s jected, the span of that portion of the spoiler forming leading edge air o l which allow e which has been projected beyond the critical 10 wing to maintain lift without burble at substaflrange gradually and uniformly increases, thus tially higher angles of attack than are otherwise uniformly spoiling the lift over an increasingly Possible large part of the wing surface.

To obtain adequate lateral control under the w include in this invention means for UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 15 .high angle of attack co'nditmns Various devices ordinating the operation of a spoiler for lateral 15 have n p p d, n udin l t sp r which control with anaileron, and also with a slotbe Operated either alone or in conjunction forming auxiliary airfoil. Mechanism is provided with ailerons. The spoilers usually comprise f allowing t p l t b projected along blades or slats normally nested within the Win with movement of the aileron above its neutral and having a substantial span with respect to plane, so long as the slot-forming airfoil is ex- 20 the Wi Th se ay be proiected above t tended. When the auxiliary-airfoil is in a slot- Wmg surface spoil the over 1 wmg closing position, however, the means for projectand thus locally reduce the thereol. The ing the spoiler is rendered inactive, since effective spoilers are Operated alternately on the Opposite lateral control in the normal flight attitude wings. wherein the slot is closed is adequately accom- 25 In attempting to apply the spoiler system of pushed by the aileron alone,

lateral control to an aircraft it has been found Objects of the invention are m provide an that the 590116! actiorl is nnumfrm that improved spoiler organization; to provide aspoiler the degree of Spomng is not proportional to having uniformly increasing effectiveness as the the distance they may be projected above the spoiler is projected, to provideaspoiler of tapered 30 wing. This results in a tendency to over-control,

v plan form, to provide a spoiler comprising a plu since if the spofler is moved through one of rality of span sections connected for harmonious projection little efiect is Produced upon or operation with each other, to provide a novel conif the spoiler is moved through the next trol means for a spoiler and to provide a mechaunit of projection great effect is produced on nism for coordinating the operation of ailerons, 35

lift and/or drag, and if the spoiler is moved through still another unit of projection, the additional effect on lift and/or drag may be either great or small.

spoilers and slot-forming airfolls.

For other objects, and for an understanding 0 fthe details of the invention, reference may be made to the annexed specification and claims and 40 gfi gzg :33:35 ib g i tz ig gzgtfig to the drawings, in which similar numbers indi- 40 the spoiler system to produce a uniform lift spoilsimilar i M i or a age effect in harmony with the degree of move-- 1 is mgmen ry pe F? W V i d ment of the control element. In one embodiwmg an aileron an auxlhary an ment, the spoiler comprises a plurality of short SP0 er; 45

span spoiler sections arranged end to end, and 215 a View 5111111 to having sectional mechanism is provided to bring first one, then Spoilers. according to h 1 another, and then another section into the air 3 is cross Sectwn through portion stream in response to continued operation of the the Wing ad ng edge showing the Sect o p control element. Thus, the spoilage eflect of 111 active P n; I

one section is limited toa small part of the wing s- 4-is a plan of a win po ion s ow n the span and has a less critical effect on the total sp r and a er n p rat hanism, air flow over the wing; the action of the several Fig. 5 is a section on the line-65 of Fig. 4, sections is so harmonized as to produce a uni- Fi 6 is an enlarged section on the line 6-6 -f0rm1y increasing lift spoilage with uniformly of Fig. 5; and 55 Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are front wing elevations showing various modifications of spoilers of tapered plan form.

A wing III is provided with a normal aileron ll having a horn l2 and push rod l3 connecting to a bell crank l4 pivoted to the wing structure at l5. The aileron is controlled by a push-pull rod l6 extending between the bell crank l4 and the normal control stick, not shown. At the wing leading edge, a slot-forming auxiliary airfoil I1 is carried by rods l8 slidably mounted in the wing, the mounting, in well-known manner, permitting automatic extension of the airfoil H in high angle of attack conditions to form a slot I9. The slot controls air flow over the upper wing surface to enable lift to be maintained at higher angles of attack than would otherwise be possible. Preferably the airfoil is coextensive with the wing span. A trailing edge flap 20 may be organized for downward swinging on the wing ID, for further increment of potential efiective wing angle of attack.

Referring to Fig. 1, a spoiler 22 is hinged to the wing leading edge at 23, the hinge line 22 being within the are of embracement of the airfoil I! when the latter is closed. When open, however, the airfoil l1 permits forward and upward swinging of the spoiler 22 to close a portion of the slot l9 equivalent to the spoiler span. The spoiler carries an arm 24 depending below the spoiler hinge axis 23, a rod 25 pivoted to said arm extending rearwardly to be pivoted to a member 26. This member extends transversely to a pivot fitting 21 on one of the auxiliary airfoil holding arms II. This fitting 21 forms a movable center about which the member 26 may swing upon operation of the spoiler. A guideway 28 carried by the wing structure, holds the member 26 for such swinging in .a plane substantiallyparallel to the plane of the wing Ill. The bell crank I4 carries an upstanding abutment 29 which may bear upon the forward side of the member 28.

The elements above described are proportioned and organized to function as followsz-When the airfoil I1 is extended to form the slot l9, assuming the aileron in neutral position, the fitting 21 is mo ed forwardly carrying the member 28 into conta ;t with the abutment 29. Thereupon, if the aileron is moved down by rocking the bell crank counter-clockwise, the abutment is moved away from the member 28, not moving the latter. If the aileron is moved up, the bell crank is moved clockwise, causing the abutment 20 to bear on the member 26 and move it rearwardly, swinging on the fitting 21. This tensions the rod 25 and swings the spoiler 22 forwardly and upwardly on its hinge 23, to close the slot l9 in a degree proportional to the raising of the aileron.

If the slot I8 is closed, the fitting 21 is moved rearwardly, holding the member 28 out of contact with the abutment 29 regardless of the up or down. aileron movement, whereby the spoiler is always inactive when the slot I9 is closed.

As previously indicated, the degree of lift spoilage effected by the spoiler 22, whether it operates in the slot l9 or whether it operates without being combined with an auxiliary sioteforming airfoil, is disproportionate to the degree of extension of the spoiler above the wing, assumhg that the spoiler is of substantially rectangular plan form as in Fig. 1. For instance, if the spoiler is swung 30 from its'retracted position, there is relatively little effect onwing lift or drag. Thereafter, up to a maximum spoiler displacement of 60, the spoilage increases to a maximum. b-

viously, the concentration of the spoilage effect over such a narrow range of movement, if a single rectangular spoiler were used, would make control extremely sensitive.

So, to distribute the spoiler efiectiveness over a wider range, the spoiler may be made in a plurality of independently swingable tandem sections MI, 222 and 223, asshown' in Figs. 2 and 3, all hinged along the same axis 23. One section, 222 as shown, is provided with the spoiler control system involving the arm 24 and rod 25. One end of the section 222 is provided with an arcuately slotted fitting 30 within the slot of which a pin 3 I, carried at the adjacent end of the section 223, slidingly engages. The slot of this fitting may embrace a relatively short arc, such as 15. opposite end of the section 222 carries a fitting 32 similar to the fitting 3|! but having a slot embracing a greater are, such as 30. A pin 33 on the section 22l engages in this longer slot. when the main section 222 is raised, the sections 22l and 223 will not be moved at first. After movement of the fitting 30 to the point where the pin 3| reaches the end of the slot, the section 223 will be raised, and similarly, further movement of the section 222 will pick up and move the section 22l. This construction permits of a gradually effective spoiler system wherein a single comparatively short spoiler section traveling through its critical range of movement will have an effect on lift spoilage over a relatively short part of the wing span. Asv the successive spoiler sections are moved into their critical, range, spoilage of lift over a greater part of the wing span will accrue to give the maximum control effectiveness that may be needed. Obviously, there may be a greater or lesser number of spoiler sections. The

angles at which successive spoilers will start to move may be varied, and the structure involved in successive movement of the spoiler sections may also be varied. The aggregate of the spans of the various spoiler sections may be coextensive with, or may be greater or less than the span of the aileron, and it is quite conceivable that they may be used independently of the conventional aileron system.

Figs. 7, 8 and 9 show alternative forms of single spoilers 224, 225 and 226, respectively, these be ing tapered in plan form. The actual form of the spoilers shown is different, but the principle underlying their operation is believed to be the same. Fig. 7 shows a spoiler wherein the maximum chord is in the center of the spoiler span and the minimum chord at the ends. In Fig. 8, the minimum spoiler chord is in the middie and the maximum chord at the ends, while in Fig. 9,-the minimum chord is at the ends and thereof. When the spoiler is raised to its maximum height, the whole spoiler will fully affect the wing lift. Thus, a gradual lift spoilage accrues in spite of the normal spoiler characteristic of uneven effect on lift as previously outlined. ltaisin of the spoilers 224, 225 and 220 75 the maximum is closer to one end than to the I the aircraft symmetry axis, a spoiler comprising a plurality of separate slats each hinged to said.

parting from the spirit or scope thereof. We-

aim in the appended claims to cover all such modifications and changes.

Whatisclaimed is:

1. A spoiler system on each side of the air- 'craft axis of symmetry of an aircraft wing comprising relatively fiat slats arranged end to end and each extendible from a nested position'within said wing to a raised position outside the normal wing profile, and common means for raising first one and then another of said slats to active raised position from their respective nested positions. I

2. In an aircraft wins. a spoiler system hinged adjacent the leading edge thereof, and means for tilting said spoiler system upwardly and forwardly relative to said wing. said spoiler system having a plan formsuch that certain portions thereof have a greater chord than other portions thereof by which the height of said spoiler systern above thawing surface varies'through the several spoiler portions when said system is tilted relative to said wing.

3.-In an aircraft wing, a spoiler adjacent the leading edge thereof comprising a plurality of separate slats arranged end to end, means for raising one said slat i'roma position adJacent the wing covering to an elevated position above the wing, and connections between said one slat and the other slats for progressively raising said other slats above the wing after raising of said one slat has been initiated.

4. In an aircraft wing panel, at one side 0 wing for movementfrom a position adjacent the wing covering to an elevated position above the wing, means for so elevating one said slat, and lost motion connections between said one slat and the other slats wherebysaid other slats will lie adiacent wing until said one slat has been raised a predetermined distance from said wing, whereafter, on continued motion of said means, said other slats are raised to lift spoiling position.

5. In an aircraft wing, in combination, an

aileron, means for operating said aileron, a

plurality of spoiler slats carried on said wing and means interconnecting said slats, with said aileron for successively raising saidslats above said wing as said aileron is progressively raised.

6. In an aircraft wing, in'eombination, a trailing edge aileron, a slot forming leading edge airfoiL-a'plurality of spoiler-slats each of lesser span than said airfoil arranged end to end, each being organized for movement from a position substantially fiush with the wing surface toward a position for closing that portion of said slot coextensive with the slat, and means for moving first one andthen another said slat toward a slot closing. position upon cumulatively greater upward movement of said aileron. J

7. In an aircraft wing, in combination, a trailedge aileron, a plurality of spoiler slats in end to end relationship along the forward part 'of said wing, each said' slat being movable from a position substantially fiush with the wing to a, lift spoiling position thereabove, and means responsive to increasing upward movement of said aileron for raising one and then another of said slats, consecutively, above said wing surface.

.8. In a wing spoiler system. a plurality of tandem spoiler slats along the wing leading edge.

on each side of the aircraft axis of symmetry,

each slat being mounted for movement between an inactive position flush with the wing and an active lift spoiling position above the wing leading edge, an operating device, and means responsive to continued device operation to consecutively raise first, one slat to lift spoiling position while another slat is inactive, then to raise another slat from inactive to active posi: tionwhile the said one slat remains in active position. I BRUCE G.'EA'1'QN, JR. HARRY SU'I'ION. 

